Apparatus and carrying case assembly

ABSTRACT

The case has the general shape of a bell open at its lower portion to receive the apparatus. The case has a handle on its upper surface for carrying the apparatus housed inside the case, this handle being provided with means coupling it directly to the apparatus and held on the case by elastic means. The handle of the case is U-shaped and has two bayonet connectors housed in respective arms of the U. The upper portion of the apparatus has apertures to receive the ends of the bayonet connectors, the handle having at least one manipulating member for the bayonet connectors.

United States Patent 11 1 Fresard 1 APPARATUS AND CARRYING CASE ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Marcel Fresard, Geneva,

Switzerland 1731 Sigma .M ie-ife'bs flitlefleeq [22] Filed: Dec. 15, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 208,082

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 29, 1970 Switzerland 19241/70 [52] U.S. Cl 312/244, 312/208, 312/284 [51] Int. CL. A47b 95/02, A47b 21/00, A47g 19/26 [58] Field of Search 312/244, 208, 284; 16/114; 112/217.1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,394,936 10/1921 Pratt 3121284 1,035,483 8/1912 Scott 16/114 R 1,723,897 8/1929 Stephenson... 312/284 2,537,750 1/1951 Gretschel 16/114 R 1111 I 3,751,130 1451 Au 7, 1973 2,617,216 ll/l952 Kilgour 16/114 R 2,663,607 12/1953 Schaper 312/208 2,683,642 7/1954 Stoleson 312/244 2,958,304 11/1960 Arbib 312/208 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,098,399 l/196l Germany 16/114 R Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Att0meyEmory L. Groff et al.

[57] ABSTRACT The case has the general shape of a bell open at its lower portion to receive the apparatus. The case has a handle on its upper surface for carrying the apparatus housed inside the case, this handle being provided with means coupling it directly to the apparatus and held on the case by elastic means. The handle of the case is U-- shaped and has two bayonet connectors housed in respective arms of the U. The upper portion of the apparatus has apertures to receive the ends of the bayonet connectors, the handle having at least one manipulating member for the bayonet connectors.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENIED 3. 751 .130

SHEU 1 [If 3 INVENTOR 104/2451. FEES/913D BY am ATTORNEY PAIENTEU I 3,751 130 sum 2 or 3 INVENTOR /M/H?ZEL Fee 519/21) ATTORNEY SHEET 3 0F 3 Pmsmiu W5 7 INVENTOR 4/14/9454 flismeb ATTORNEY 1 APPARATUS AND CARRYING CASE ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a carrying assembly for an apparatus. More particularly it relates to an apparatus fitted with a case.

Certain apparatus, such as, for example, sewing machine and cine projectors, are provided with a case or a removable box to protect them when they are not in use and to facilitate their storage or their transportation. Certain of these apparatuses require cases of robust construction and the means for closing the case or holding the apparatus in the latter must be of particularly solid construction.

It is an object of the present invention to enable a relatively light construction of thegcase while facilitating the placing in working position of the apparatus.

According to the invention, there is provided an assembly of an apparatus provided with a case, in the general shape of a bell open at its lower portion and intended to cover the apparatus, the case having, on its upper surface, a handle for the transportation of the apparatus placed inside the case, this handle being provided with means of direct coupling to the apparatus and being retained on the case by elastic means.

2 ter is placed on a table, for example, then the flaps 5, 6, 7 are folded down, as shown in FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the handle 4 is then separated from the upper 1 arm 8 of the sewing machine'9, which enables the case This apparatus is characterized in that the handle of the case is U-shaped and has two bayonet joint elements held respectively in the arms of the U, the upper portion of the apparatus having complementary elements to receive the ends of the aforesaid bayonet elements, the handle having at least one manipulating member for the said bayonet elements.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, one embodiment thereof is described below, purely by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, the apparatus being in this case a sewing machine.

In the drawings, illustrated diagrammatically:

FIG. 1 shows an assembly according to the invention of a sewing machine enclosed in its case;

FIG. 2 shows the first phase for separating the sewing machine from its case;

FIG. 3 illustrates the removal of the case;

FIG. 4 is a view in partial section of the handle of the case connected to the upper wall of the machine;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the handle with a partial cross-section along the line V-V of FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the fixing of the handle of the machine, respectively in locked position and in unlocked position seen from below with reference to FIG. 4.

The sewing machine shown comprises a case 1, in the general shape of a bell open at its lower portion, which is intended to cover the machine of which FIG. 1 only shows the lower portion formed by a base 2. The latter can be detachable from the machine, but it could also form a constituent portion of the machine.

The upper surface 3 of the case I bears a handle 4 facilitating the carrying of the machine placed in its case. This handle 4 is provided with direct coupling means to the sewing machine, so that on transportation, the weight of the machine is borne directly by the handle, which relieves the case of any mechanical strain.

The base 2of the machine has three flaps 5, 6 and 7 which can be folded back and which, in the position for carrying the machine, are flattened against the case I and retained against the surfaces of the latter by retaining means, not shown, for example, by magnetic pastilles. To place the machine in working position, the lat- I 1 to be removed. The machine is then in working position, the flaps 5, 6 and 7 constituting ramps facilitating the bringing of the work to the work zone.

The fixing of the handle '4 to the upper surface of the arm 8 is obtained by means of two holes 10 whose shape enables a bayonet coupling with two pegs ll forming part of the handle 4. The latter is U-shaped and each of the pegs 11 passes through a bore provided in one of the arms 12, 13 respectively, of the handle 4.

Each peg ll bears a transverse rod 14 which, fora predetermined angular position of the peg, can be introduced into a hole 10. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the holes 10 are constituted by elongated slots of which the central portion is large enough to enable the passage of the end of a peg 1 l. The rotation of the pegs I 1 can enable the placing of the transverse rod 14 in locked or unlocked position and ensured by an arm 15 rigidly fixed to the upper end of each peg 11; each arm 15 extends radially from the peg and, in closed position of the handle, comes into engagement in a housing l6 of the transverse portion of the handle, as illustrated in the left hand portion of FIG. 4.

The handle 4 is retained on the uppersurface 3 of the case 1 by elastic means comprising a bush I7 surrounding each peg 1'1 and a spiral spring 18 supported, on one hand, against the upper surface 3 of the case '1 and, on the other hand, against the bottom of the housin'g l 9 provided in the base of each arm of the'handle '4. The rotation of each peg ll is.limited by a bolt '20which can ensure the connection between thepe'g 1-1 and'its arm 15, and of which the end is moved in a housing 21 limiting to about a quarter of a turn the'possible angular movement of the peg l1.

Each bush 17 passes through a'hole in the upper-wall of the case and has a head 22 of largerdia'meter. The latter is intended to be supported against the uppersurface of the arm 8 by means of a conical spring washer 23 and by a flat washer 24 to eliminate play between the handle and the arm 8.

Of course, different variations of the assembly described could be provided. In particular, it is clear that the connecting means between the handle andtheapparatus could be effected in different man'nerQfOr example by means of a milled head screw, or again by hooks and loops belonging respectively to the'handle and to the apparatus. The coupling betwe'enthe apparatus and the handle could also be actuated'by a single actuating member.

I claim:

I. An apparatus and case assembly, said case being hollow and open at its lower end so as to coverthe apparatus, said apparatus including a top wall, a handle mounted on the top surface of said case for attachment to the apparatus housed therein, said handle including a horizontal hand gripping portion with arms atopposite ends thereof and normal thereto, a peg rotatably mounted in each of said arms, the lower 'end of each said peg extending through a related opening inthe upper surface of said case, a rod in the lowerend-of each said peg transversely thereof, flexible means in said arms surrounding said pegs for retaining the handle on the case, the top wall of said apparatus having a pair of spaced elongated openings therein of'g'reater length than said transverse rods, an operating member connected to the upper end of each said peg, means limiting the rotation of said pegs and positioning said rods relative to said openings whereby upon placing said case over said apparatus with said transverse rods passed through said elongated openings, the rotation of said pegs by said operating members will move said rods to a position out of alignment with said openings and positioned beneath the lower surface of the top wall of the apparatus so thatthe case and apparatus are connected for transport with the weight of the apparatus borne directly by the handle thereby relieving the case of any mechanical strain.

2. An apparatus and case assembly according to claim 1 wherein the means limiting the rotation of said pegs and positioning said rods relative to said openings comprises arcuate housings in the upper portion of said arms, said pegs having at their upper ends a bolt prohousings to limit the maximum rotation of said pegs to approximately one quarter of a turn, the position of said operating member relative to the handle indicating the position of said rods.

3. An apparatus and case assembly according to claim 1 wherein said flexible means comprises a bush through which said peg passes, said bush fitted in each said opening in the upper surface of the case and having a head of larger diameter than said opening, a conical washer on said peg bearing against the lower surface of said bush and against the top wall of said apparatus when said case is in carrying position to eliminate play between the handle and the apparatus, a spiral spring surrounding said bush, said spring bearing at one end against said am of the handle and at the other end against the top surface of the case.

i i i i 

1. An apparatus and case assembly, said case being hollow and open at its lower end so as to cover the apparatus, said apparatus including a top wall, a handle mounted on the top surface of said case for attachment to the apparatus housed therein, said handle including a horizontal hand gripping portion with arms at opposite ends thereof and normal thereto, a peg rotatably mounted in each of said arms, the lower end of each said peg extending through a related opening in the upper surface of said case, a rod in the lower end of each said peg transversely thereof, flexible means in said arms surrounding said pegS for retaining the handle on the case, the top wall of said apparatus having a pair of spaced elongated openings therein of greater length than said transverse rods, an operating member connected to the upper end of each said peg, means limiting the rotation of said pegs and positioning said rods relative to said openings whereby upon placing said case over said apparatus with said transverse rods passed through said elongated openings, the rotation of said pegs by said operating members will move said rods to a position out of alignment with said openings and positioned beneath the lower surface of the top wall of the apparatus so that the case and apparatus are connected for transport with the weight of the apparatus borne directly by the handle thereby relieving the case of any mechanical strain.
 2. An apparatus and case assembly according to claim 1 wherein the means limiting the rotation of said pegs and positioning said rods relative to said openings comprises arcuate housings in the upper portion of said arms, said pegs having at their upper ends a bolt projecting angularly therefrom and confined within said housings to limit the maximum rotation of said pegs to approximately one quarter of a turn, the position of said operating member relative to the handle indicating the position of said rods.
 3. An apparatus and case assembly according to claim 1 wherein said flexible means comprises a bush through which said peg passes, said bush fitted in each said opening in the upper surface of the case and having a head of larger diameter than said opening, a conical washer on said peg bearing against the lower surface of said bush and against the top wall of said apparatus when said case is in carrying position to eliminate play between the handle and the apparatus, a spiral spring surrounding said bush, said spring bearing at one end against said arm of the handle and at the other end against the top surface of the case. 